7 Methods To Hold Chipmunks AWAY From Hen Feeders! (2022)
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How do you retain chipmunks away and off your fowl feeders?
With their cheeks stuffed stuffed with meals, many individuals discover chipmunks extremely cute and welcome them to their yard. However whereas squirrels get many of the consideration, these striped rodents can turn into a bit annoying close to your fowl feeding station, particularly in massive sufficient numbers.
The most probably place the place you will notice chipmunks will likely be beneath your feeders, consuming the fowl meals that has fallen to the bottom. However with no little bit of prevention, these critters are identified to climb into your fowl feeders, which prevents the songbirds you really wish to see!
Under are 7 easy methods to forestall chipmunks at your fowl feeders!
And ensure to take a look at the entire issues you need to NOT do to cease chipmunks, that are situated on the finish.
#1. Hold the world beneath your feeders clear.
The most probably place that you will see chipmunks at is consuming the fowl meals that falls to the bottom. These mammals are identified for filling their cheeks with as a lot meals that may match, which they take again to their underground dens to eat later or retailer for winter.
So it shouldn’t come as a shock that to maintain chipmunks away, it’s essential attempt to cease birdseed falling from above!
To stop meals on the bottom, pay shut consideration to your feeders.
Most birds are messy eaters and can poke via and throw birdseed round, searching for the meals they wish to eat. You’re going to want fowl feeders that don’t permit birds to do that!
Most hopper feeders and trays are in all probability unhealthy choices since birds can sit on a platform and have loads of room to throw meals round, resulting in some ending up on the bottom.
Search for feeders the place birds should attain inside to seize a chunk of meals.
One feeder that I personal that may be a good selection is the Absolute II.
Absolute II View As we speak’s Worth
The seed is enclosed within the meals reservoir and has a steel lip that forestalls (a lot) meals from spilling out.
One other method to stop meals from ending up on the bottom is to put in a tray beneath the feeders.
Many tube feeders have trays which you could safe to the underside. You can too connect a dish or bin that catches fallen seeds.
The mixture that I take advantage of is an Facets tube feeder with a 8.5-inch Seed Tray hooked up to the underside.
You can too strive solely utilizing shelled sunflower seeds.
So far as fowl meals goes, sunflower kernels are the most well-liked. Virtually each fowl that involves feeders loves the stuff. Actually, when birds are wanting via a birdseed combine, it’s usually the sunflower they’re trying to find.
In the event you solely use shelled sunflowers, there will likely be nothing for the birds to go looking via, which suggests they’re much less more likely to throw seeds to the bottom. As one other profit, you’ll keep away from a multitude of shells that it’s essential clear up later since you’re shopping for the sunflower seed already shelled.
If any sunflower kernels do fall to the bottom, they need to be shortly devoured up by ground-feeding birds, which shouldn’t go away any for the chipmunks to eat.
#2. Stop entry to your fowl feeders!
Consider it or not, for those who don’t take any precautions, chipmunks could climb into your fowl feeders. As soon as there, they are going to stuff their cheeks stuffed with meals, preserving birds away whereas they’re consuming.
However fortunately, chipmunks don’t have the identical athletic skill that squirrels possess. Chipmunks can’t leap vertically or horizontally from a tree very far, or climb round baffles nicely, so it’s comparatively simple to verify these rodents can’t climb into your feeders. Belief me; it’s WAY more difficult to maintain squirrels off your fowl feeders than chipmunks!
Regardless, listed below are some simple issues you are able to do to maintain chipmunks on the bottom!
A. Baffle your fowl feeder pole!
A baffle is merely a contraption that’s designed to forestall mammals from climbing up your fowl feeder pole. Whereas they’re principally meant to cease squirrels, they’re distinctive for stopping chipmunks too.
Baffles will be bought individually (or made) and hooked up to your present pole. On the whole, there are two totally different types/shapes of baffle you’ll encounter:
Torpedo Baffle Pictured Above (Additionally known as Stovepipe or Cone): Audubon Metal Baffle
Wrap Round Baffle Pictured Above: Woodlink Baffle
Each of those baffles are designed to connect beneath the fowl feeder. As chipmunks climb, they aren’t capable of get across the baffle and, due to this fact, can’t eat your fowl meals!
For every little thing it’s essential learn about baffles, take a look at this text:
B. Purchase a pole that makes a speciality of stopping rodents from climbing up!
In the event you don’t personal a fowl feeder pole but or are searching for a brand new one, then I beneficial shopping for one which has a baffle already constructed into the design.
For instance, I used to personal the Squirrel Stopper Pole, and never one critter EVER obtained previous the hooked up spring-loaded baffle. (Final 12 months, I constructed a extra heavy-duty fowl feeder pole because of the excessive variety of fowl feeders I used to be utilizing. 🙂 )
Try the spring-loaded baffle on the Squirrel Stopper pole beneath:
Squirrel Stopper Pole Examine As we speak’s Worth
Not solely is that this pole nice at stopping chipmunks from climbing up, however it holds as much as 8 fowl feeders and appears “stylish” in backyards.
C. Cling your feeders from a powerful fishing line!
Lots of people that feed birds don’t use a fowl feeder pole to hold their feeders, however as an alternative, they droop them from a tree or different construction. The issue these fanatics face is that chipmunks can climb the tree and are available down onto the feeders from above.
A simple method to cease that is to hold the fowl feeders from a powerful fishing line!
The fishing line is simply too small and skinny for chipmunks to navigate down, and they’re going to both must make a leap of religion from the tree or head again to the bottom.
#3. Use spicy meals to cease chipmunks.
Do you get pleasure from having habanero peppers throughout your meals? Or does your face grimace simply fascinated by the warmth you’ll expertise?
The rationale that we (folks) really feel the warmth of spicy meals is due to one thing referred to as capsaicin, which is the energetic ingredient present in chili peppers that makes them scorching and worsening to eat.
However right here is the loopy factor:
Solely mammals really feel the consequences of capsaicin! Birds aren’t affected.
And in case you forgot, chipmunks are mammals. As well as, a chipmunk’s sense of scent and style is best than people. I’ve by no means been capable of ask a chipmunk what consuming scorching chili peppers tastes like, however my guess is that the consequences are compounded much more than what folks really feel.
Cole’s Sizzling Meats View Price – Amazon
Utilizing fowl meals that has been coated in scorching pepper is price attempting. Chipmunks ought to take one whiff and never like what they scent. Birds, who don’t have a lot of a way of scent or style, gained’t be bothered one bit by the spicy meals.
Utilizing spicy seeds ought to work at stopping all kinds of mammals at your feeding station, together with squirrels, raccoons, and bears! Try the experiment I did beneath, the place I examined to see if scorching pepper seed really works.
#4. Lure and launch your chipmunks!
If all else fails, you may attempt to lure chipmunks and allow them to go someplace distant from your own home.
Catching a chipmunk is comparatively simple.
First, purchase a small lure, just like the one seen beneath.
Havahart Small Mammal Lure View Worth – Amazon
Then put one thing scrumptious inside that chipmunks can’t resist, like sunflower seeds.
Quickly sufficient, you need to have a chipmunk. Now it’s essential drive a number of miles away to let it go. Attempt to discover a park or a buddy’s home that has a wooded space for the chipmunk to dwell.
Whereas trapping can work, I don’t suppose it’s a long-term resolution. There’ll ALWAYS be extra chipmunks. To unravel your chipmunk issues, I believe it’s a a lot better use of time to give attention to easy methods to cease them completely.
Usually, I solely resort to trapping a chipmunk when one has began making a multitude inside my storage or shed persistently!
Additionally, I attempt to keep away from trapping and relocating chipmunks throughout spring and summer time, since they could have an underground burrow stuffed with infants ready for “mamma” to return residence. I don’t have the guts to know that I’m guaranteeing these younger chipmunks a sluggish and painful loss of life.
Lastly, PLEASE don’t harm the chipmunk after it’s trapped!
These adaptable mammals are simply attempting to remain alive. Be sort and discover a appropriate place distant from your own home to allow them to go.
#5. Feed chipmunks individually out of your birds.
This tip runs counter to nearly every little thing else on this checklist.
To stop and deter chipmunks from accessing and consuming your whole meals and scaring away birds, strive feeding them at a separate feeder only for them!
For instance, beneath my fowl feeders, I’ve a tray that’s all the time stuffed with sunflower seeds only for the chipmunks and different ground-feeding animals!
Search for chipmunks beneath on the LIVE digital camera in my yard!
*LEARN extra concerning the LIVE cameras in my yard HERE!*
By offering a vast provide of meals for chipmunks on the bottom, you’re hoping they gained’t even trouble going via all the additional work to achieve your fowl feeders. I take advantage of this similar technique to assist management Home Sparrows too!
And for those who don’t need chipmunks hanging round your fowl feeders, then put this separate tray of meals in a unique space of the yard to get them to relocate. 🙂
#6. Be sure you have correct seed storage!
You didn’t ask, however I’m going to offer you my private opinion concerning chipmunks. 🙂
General, I don’t thoughts them, and I’m pleased they’re round. Chipmunks present plenty of leisure for our household, and so they keep off my fowl feeders (because of my baffles) and assist clear up the seed that falls to the bottom. Additionally, I like the actual fact they supply meals for owls and hawks, which I like getting the prospect to see in our yard too. (Don’t hate me for that remark, hate the circle of life! 🙂 )
The one occasions that I get irritated with chipmunks are once they come into my storage and shed and wreak havoc on my saved fowl meals.
Chipmunk or squirrel harm on a 5-gallon bucket lid.
If I by chance go away a bag of seed on the bottom after buying it from the shop, I can rely on them to tear a gap within the aspect to get their fair proportion. I’ve additionally discovered harm from them as they attempt to chew their method via arduous plastic in my shed.
Now, I notice that I can’t blame the chipmunks for inflicting this harm and mess, as they simply need an opportunity to get some simple meals. However they do hold me on my toes and make sure that I’m storing all of my fowl seed correctly.
My advice is to buy steel bins with a lid or discover storage containers manufactured from extremely arduous plastic.
Additionally, attempt to clear up everytime you spill any meals on the ground, as this discourages chipmunks, in addition to mice and rats, from coming again.
Tip #7: PLEASE Don’t Damage Chipmunks!
Sadly, out of frustration, many individuals have provide you with methods to maintain chipmunks away from fowl feeders that harm and even kill them.
I don’t agree with these strategies. There are too many efficient methods that work at deterring and repelling chipmunks AND hold these animals secure.
So my remaining advice is to keep away from something that may injure chipmunks. Attempt to respect chipmunks as a part of nature and keep in mind they’re simply attempting to outlive just like the birds that go to your feeders!
Don’t Use THESE Methods To Hold Chipmunks Off Hen Feeders!
Poison:
DON’T USE THIS STUFF!!!
Not solely will you be sentencing chipmunks to a painful loss of life, however what in case your canine by chance ingests some?
Additionally, it’s frequent for predatory animals, like foxes, owls, and hawks, to eat a rodent that has simply been poisoned, since, to them, it makes a straightforward meal. As quickly as this poisoned chipmunk has been consumed, there isn’t any hope for that predator both, and it’ll quickly die.
Glue or the rest sticky in your fowl feeder pole:
It not solely must be extremely painful to have their fur ripped out, however it’s nearly unimaginable for chipmunks to take away the glue, and so they could ingest some as they attempt to groom themselves.
Petroleum jelly or grease in your fowl feeder pole:
Much like glue, that is extremely tough for chipmunks to get off their coat. They may ingest some and get sick, or their fur will clump collectively, leaving them prone to chilly climate.
Taking pictures:
There may be nothing you may shoot at a chipmunk that won’t harm it, besides a digital camera.
Letting your cat outdoors to kill the chipmunks:
Cats LOVE to prey on and kill birds. If you wish to see extra birds at your feeder and fewer chipmunks, do you suppose letting your cat outdoors is a superb thought?
On the whole, don’t do something that may kill or hurt the chipmunks in your yard!
Killing the chipmunks in your yard is a basic instance of treating the symptom and never the issue. Chipmunks breed shortly, so you may all the time count on extra to reach. Utilizing a mix of the guidelines on this article will work a lot better as long-term options than homicide.
Ultimate Ideas
By using a number of the ideas listed above, it’s completely attainable to repel, deter, and hold chipmunks off your feeders and cease them from consuming your fowl meals!
However most significantly, attempt to be taught to understand chipmunks as a part of the extraordinary nature you get to look at in your yard! I’ve even heard of those who have educated chipmunks to eat out of their arms! 🙂
Earlier than you go, I need your assist to make this text even higher. Are you able to assist reply a few of these questions within the feedback beneath?
What are the most effective methods you’ve got discovered to discourage and repel chipmunks?
Thanks for studying, and good luck!
Scott
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